Critic Reviews

And the good news is that all the elements that make the Real Thing so much fun are all here in this conversion: the simplistic but entertaining gameplay, the great feel - even the arcade original's elaborate end sequence (which didn't appear on MegaDrive version). The fighting's straightforward, but not so simple as to make the going too repetitive. It's all down to timing, which means if the more elaborate moves prove too much you can always resort to using a few basic moves to see you through. The only minor gripe is the frequent disk accessing, although to be fair it doesn't actually affect the flow of the action to the point of frustration. What a diamond conversion. A better bout of combat you are unlikely to have seen this year. Unmissable.

There's no doubting that Golden Axe is a good conversion: the graphics, animation and sound are almost identical to those of the coin-op, and it even sports all the arcade machine's into screens. Despite all this though, the gameplay is its main stumbling block and whilst it is fun to play - especially in two-player mode - and the initial urge to explore is great, its lasting appeal is dubious. A good conversion, if a little short in the longevity stakes, but definitely one for die-hard fans of the coin-op.

Though nowhere near as technically impressive as the C64 game, Amiga Golden Axe benefits greatly from the simultaneous two-player mode. As in Shadow Warriors it's possible to hurt your partner -easily done by accident during the hectic fighting, or sometimes on purpose in the rush to get potions and food! (Don't I know it! -Ed). Even with a clumsy colleague (You! -Ed), the game is definitely more fun with two players, although it's made a lot easier -Stu and I got well into the game on our first attempt. Thankfully then, playing solo is considerably more challenging with effectively double the number of well-animated enemies to fend off. As with the C64 version, my favourite part of the game is riding the creatures, especially the fire-breathing dragon -great for roasting your 'colleague'! Generally good graphics -apart from the unbelievably crude magic effects -and a nice soundtrack to complement some highly enjoyable hack'n'slay action.

The arcade game, Golden Axe, was excellent in every way and I am somewhat disappointed at the Amiga conversion. Golden Axe, I imagine, must have been a very difficult game to convert and this is probably the best that could've been written. The graphics are very good but the game suffers from what we call the 'Double Dragon syndrome': the game was far too easy. We completed it on our first go.